Mariko Nanba (南波 真理子) is a composer for Sega best known for her work with the Sonic the Hedgehog series' music. Her interest in music started at age 4, when she began piano lessons. From there, she attended Tokyo Conservatoire Shobi (college of music) and in 1994, sent a demo tape to Sega. She was hired, and worked on her first game, Panic!, where she handled mastering (MA) duties in the sound department.